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April 24, 2009
A Spirit of Encouragement
I believe that every musician ought to posses these qualities:
1. Talent
2. Practice
3. Perseverance
4. Aggressiveness
5. Determination
6. A spirit of encouragement
The first five are pretty standard, but the sixth quality is not included on many lists such as this.
I include this quality as one that every musician needs because encouragement, the giving and receiving of it, has been and will continue to be a major part of my life.
There will be times when you come to doubt your abilities, and start to question the worth of what you are doing. What a blessing it is to have a friend (or even a stranger) come to you and say, “I enjoy listening to you. I like your songs. Keep going. Keep doing what you are doing” (or words to that effect).
There will be times when you run across a fellow creative artist who is having a “down” day (and we all have them, don’t we?). Here’s your opportunity to be an encourager. Have a good word for your downcast colleague, and remind them of their worth.
We spend more time in the studio encouraging an artist to give their best performance and reminding them of the value of their work, than we do setting up mics, running cables, and dialing in proper recording levels. And we are encouraged when they express their appreciation of our work on their behalf.
Bring the spirit of encouragement into every thought and action, and see the effect it will have on your life. In this age of jadedness, cynicism and snarkiness, you will be a definite “breath of fresh air.”
Posted by leonolguin at April 24, 2009 11:51 AM